Twist in Hasler saga could put ball back in Manly’s court

Des Hasler is prepared to work alongside Anthony Seibold next season and accept other conditions Manly seek to impose upon him in a move that could put his future back into the court of the club.

The stand-off between the parties is expected to come to a head by the end of the week, with the most likely outcome being that Hasler has coached his last game for the Sea Eagles. Both parties are careful to be seen to be meeting their contractual obligations – Hasler’s deal doesn’t expire until the end of 2023 – to ensure they haven’t breached the terms of their agreement.

Manly powerbrokers want to wrest back control from Hasler and have put forward a raft of conditions they felt would force his hand and prompt him to walk away from the job. They included accepting Seibold as Hasler’s assistant for next season and as his successor for the following one, effectively extinguishing Hasler’s hopes of a one-year extension.

Now that an end point had been put on Hasler’s tenure, he would also forgo much of the power he had over retention and recruitment, with the responsibility to be shared with a committee that had the power to overrule him.

While Hasler was expected to find the demands unacceptable, sources with knowledge of the situation have told the Herald that he is prepared to accept them. The move may prove to be less about saving his job and more about ensuring that he is entitled to a payout should the parties, as expected, part company in coming days.

Regardless, it may force Manly to move on from Hasler and pay him out if they feel he isn’t genuine in wanting to work collaboratively on the northern beaches. That still appears the most likely scenario, which would result in Seibold taking over immediately.

Anthony Seibold is Manly’s preferred option to take over from Hasler.Credit:Nick Moir, NRL Photos

Manly has a termination clause in Hasler’s contract that entitles him to about $450,000 if he is axed, about half of his contract value for 2023. However, Hasler may still consider launching legal action against the club on the grounds that his employer didn’t give him the support required to finish last season within the top six, a result that would have automatically triggered a contract extension for 2024.

Hasler is away on annual leave, although the dialogue with the club continues via his representatives.

After opting against pursuing Hasler’s recommendation as his successor, Josh Hannay, the club will forge ahead with Seibold as its next head coach. What transpires over the next few days will determine when the former Rabbitohs and Broncos mentor starts.

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